Mapo Disabled Festival '1st Mapo-gu Sarameul Bora' Held

‘1st Mapo-gu Look at People Festival’ Held in Hongdae Area on April 19-20

Disability Day Commemoration Ceremony, Commemorative Concert Featuring Tanaka and Others... Open to Everyone Regardless of Disability

Over 100 Works by People with Disabilities Conveying Awareness and Hope Exhibited at District Office and Art Center

On April 20, the ‘43rd Disability Day’ commemoration event will be held not in a facility or public institution but in the Hongdae area.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) will hold the ‘1st Mapo-gu Look at People Festival’ for two days from April 19 to 20.

The district gave this festival the subtitle ‘Look at People, Not Disabilities,’ meaning that people with and without disabilities can enjoy the festival equally without discrimination or prejudice.

On the first day, a Disability Day commemoration ceremony and concert will take place in the Hongdae Eoulmadang-ro area, and on the second day, exhibitions of works by artists with disabilities will be held in the Eoulmadang-ro area, Mapo District Office, and Mapo Art Center.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu (left), listening to the concerns of welfare recipients including people with disabilities in the area

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Disability Day Commemoration Ceremony and Commemorative Concert Featuring Tanaka and Others Enjoyed Together in Hongdae

On April 19, the main festival events will be held along about 200 meters of Eoulmadang-ro, from across KT&G Sangsangmadang.

About 300 people with disabilities from organizations such as Mapo Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled, Developmental Disabilities Cultural Creation Center, and Disabled Sports Association will enjoy the festival together here.

From 3 p.m., a commemorative concert featuring the Mapo District Choir and others will take place, followed by the Disability Day commemoration ceremony at 4 p.m., hosted by announcer Lee Jae-yong. The ceremony will include awards for contributors to disability welfare, presentation of winning entries from the disability awareness video content contest, and a declaration ceremony for a disability-friendly city.

From 5:30 p.m., a 100-minute concert will feature popular YouTuber Tanaka and singer Kang Won-rae, among others.

Exhibitions and Experiences for Disability Awareness Improvement at Eoulmadang-ro, Mapo Art Center, and Mapo District Office

From 11 a.m. on April 20, exhibitions and experiential programs aimed at improving disability awareness will be held in the lobby of Mapo District Office, Mapo Art Center, and the Eoulmadang-ro area.

Visitors to the district office lobby and Mapo Art Center (Gallery Mac) can view about 40 works by singer Kang Won-rae and about 20 works by members of the Developmental Disabilities Cultural Creation Center.

Additionally, about 50 works conveying messages of hope supporting people with disabilities will be exhibited in the Eoulmadang-ro area. Various disability awareness experiential programs involving 18 organizations, including Mapo Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled, Mapo Branch of the Association of the Physically Disabled, and Mapo Braille Library, will also be held.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “This festival was planned as an opportunity for people with disabilities to enjoy and freely experience the Hongdae area, not confined spaces, together with people without disabilities.” He added, “We ask for the interest and participation of many people so that the 1st Mapo-gu Look at People Festival can grow into Korea’s representative disability festival.”

Laugh Together with People with Disabilities! ‘Songpa-gu Disability Festival’

April 20, 2 p.m. at Songpa-gu Community Center, ‘43rd Disability Day’ Commemoration Event

Diverse Cultural Performances and Exhibitions Including One-Foot B-boy Dance and Sign Language for a ‘Shared Enjoyment’

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will hold the ‘2023 Songpa-gu Disability Festival’ on April 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Songpa-gu Community Center to commemorate the 43rd Disability Day.

The festival’s subtitle is ‘Haha Hoho, Laughing Together with People with Disabilities in Songpa.’ It incorporates the names of Songpa-gu’s new characters ‘Haha’ and ‘Hoho,’ expressing the hope that people with and without disabilities can come together and laugh.

The festival is hosted by Songpa-gu and organized by Songpa Personality Disability Welfare Center. Fourteen disability welfare centers and organizations in the district actively participate, preparing various cultural events to ensure everyone enjoys the occasion.

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The event will begin with a pre-performance by Kim Wan-hyuk, a physically disabled B-boy who inspires many people with disabilities with his one-foot B-boy dance, followed by awards for contributors, a towel-spreading performance involving people with and without disabilities, traditional Korean music by the Gwanhyeon Blind Traditional Arts Group, hand angel sign language performance, trot performance by singer Oh Ju-ju, and a dazzling performance by the Nanta team Hwaryeo.

The festival venue will also feature four exhibitions themed on disability awareness improvement, including photos taken by people with disabilities, foot-painted pictures, calligraphy, and perfumery, as well as a photo zone booth composed of ‘Giant Flowers.’

Various prize events supported by private sponsors will also be held. With sponsorship from Lotte Mulsan, Dongseong Engineering, Songpa-gu Disabled Sports Association, Lina’s Gift, and Seomun Church, cosmetics, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, rice cookers, and more will be prepared to make the festival even richer.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope that people with disabilities, who have faced restrictions on outdoor activities due to COVID-19, will enjoy themselves through this festival.” He added, “Songpa-gu will continue to support the independence of people with disabilities through proactive measures such as expanding disability allowances and create an inclusive city free of prejudice.”

Gangnam-gu Holds 43rd Disability Day Commemoration Events

April 19 ‘Lying-Down Concert’ for Severely Bedridden Disabled, April 20 ‘Dreams Blossom’ with 500 People with Disabilities

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will hold various events on April 19-20 to mark Disability Day on April 20. On April 19, a ‘Lying-Down Concert’ will be held at COEX Starfield Library for severely bedridden disabled people, and on April 20, the ‘Dreams Blossom’ commemorative event with about 500 people with disabilities will take place at Irwon Eco Park. These events aim to improve disability awareness and create a communication space where people with and without disabilities become one.

‘Lying-Down Concert’ with Severely Disabled in Front Row Seats

On April 19 at noon, Kim Jang-hoon’s ‘Lying-Down Concert’ will be held at COEX Starfield Library. This special event invites about 40 severely bedridden disabled people, their families, and caregivers to watch the performance lying down in the front row seats, as it is usually difficult for them to attend concerts.

The concert is planned with participation from singer Kim Jang-hoon, wearable robot specialist company Angel Robotics, youth non-profit organization Kkumirumi, and event planning company The Mercen, sponsored by Solim Mara and supported by Gangnam-gu.

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In addition to Kim Jang-hoon, singers Kim Jong-seo, Kwon In-ha, and popera singer Jung Se-hoon will perform. Dr. Gong Kyung-cheol from KAIST, who operates Angel Robotics, will demonstrate the advanced assistive device ‘wearable robot’ on a special stage. This hopeful performance will show a lower-body paralyzed person wearing the wearable robot standing up and walking, with gold medalist and national representative Kim Byung-wook from the Cybathlon 2020 international competition performing the demonstration, offering a unique emotional experience.

‘Dreams Blossom’ Festival with 500 People with Disabilities

On April 20 at 2 p.m., the ‘Dreams Blossom’ commemorative event for the 43rd Disability Day will be held at Irwon Eco Park with about 500 people with disabilities participating.

This event is designed to support the blooming of everyone’s dreams without discrimination between people with and without disabilities, using culture and arts as a medium to unite them.

The ceremony held at the Eco Center will award 36 contributors, including people with disabilities and workers at disability welfare facilities, for their contributions to the development of disability welfare. Pre-ceremony performances prepared by people with disabilities will be presented, and celebratory performances will feature singers Yang Soo-kyung, Kim Tae-yeon, and Yoo Sang-wook.

At Eco Park, 20 exhibition, promotion, and experience booths will be operated by disability organizations and facilities, Gangnam Welfare Foundation, and Korea Social Contribution Association. Activities include poetry and painting exhibitions, caricatures, drum circles, Shrinkles art, photo booths, cultural and artistic experiences for people with disabilities, exhibitions of artworks by people with disabilities, and awareness campaigns. Visitors can also enjoy spring potting experiences, plant giveaways, sign language learning, and free hearing and hearing loss tests.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “I hope this event where people with and without disabilities come together will become a communication space where they can care for and empathize with each other.” He added, “I will do my best to create a Gangnam that can walk together with about 15,000 people with disabilities.”

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